We love stories about celebrities who misbehave. But with Rob Ford, the infamous mayor of Toronto, we have someone whose misbehaviour makes him a worldwide celebrity of sorts.

Arguably, he is the most recognisable mayor in the world today, for all the wrong reasons. He admitted on live television that he loved oral sex, has been captured on video smoking crack cocaine and littered a public path with empty and broken bottles after a night of heavy drinking with a buddy who had a history of criminal records. For some reason, he cannot be removed from office or arrested, even though the city's council has stripped him of most powers and his budget.

His extraordinary public behaviour is what Hong Kong-born Olivia Chow, his prime mayoral election rival in October, means when she says Torontonians are living with a "sense of shame". One of Canada's most prominent Asian public figures, Chow has urged Torontonians, including those in Hong Kong such as yours truly, to vote Ford out of office.

It's estimated there are at least 100,000 Canadians living in Hong Kong who can vote in Toronto's municipal elections. I don't feel shame at all, just amusement at the man's antics, which offer constant material for comedians across North America and beyond. I do agree it's better for Toronto's future to have someone more like Chow than Ford as mayor.

Given Ford's outrages, it's hard for outsiders to understand the continuing support of his constituents, who are mostly working class. But his political platform and boorish behaviour are all of a piece. He rose to power by raging against "the elite establishment". He called them "fancy people". He was the outsider and working-class lad who made good.

Instead of joining the elite with bowtie and tuxedo, he doubled down on his street credentials as boozer and druggie. His supporters can identify all too well with his libido-driven misbehaviour. After his cocaine confession, his popularity rating actually went up five points to 44 per cent. Someone like Ford could gain power because many Torontonians believe City Hall is broken, the system is rigged for the rich and connected, and government is dysfunctional.

Welcome to real democracy.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as Toronto's shame and real democracy

Indeed, Ford may not be for everyone. And it should be noted that his "rise" to infamy began after he was elected. Before that, he was simply the counter-establishment voice...and it clearly resonated with the electorate at that time. We shall see if the current Ford with his new-found baggage will still carry the day after the upcoming election.
And if he wins, then that truly is real democracy...just as much as if he loses. If Mr. Lo does not approve of Mr. Ford, does that matter, if the majority of Torontonians do? Nope. Mr. Lo might prefer Ms. Chow, but we shall see who the majority of Toronto voters prefer.
Voters can end up putting a clown in office, just as much as the CCP can engineer the process to result in a clown ending up in office. But if you live in Toronto, you have a constitutionally enshrined and legally protected opportunity to avoid that calamity. If you live in HK, not so much...

ykbc Apr 3rd 201410:04pm

It's curious to have heard so many apparently learned people rubbishing the defects of democracy whenever they appear. In fact they should distinguish between its ideals and its manifestations, which are often full of defects, in the real world. But even with all its defects, democracy has proved itself to be the best polity in history.

superdx Apr 3rd 20141:29pm

Democracy is self correcting. He'll be voted out this year. And yes it is the fault of the voters for bringing such a fool into power.Can't say the same for the authoritarian regimes. The leaders literally have to be hauled out of office by mobs or threats of extreme violence. Which we can see is happening everyday.

I suppose it is of (some) interest to us because she was previously a HK resident. It is good anyway to see a foreign-born Asian do well in a western country. It takes more than knowledge of English to succeed, as returned HK/Canadians will tell you.

impala Apr 3rd 20144:22pm

Yes, it is real democracy. And it is a good thing too.

I would much rather have a protest-vote winner like Rob Ford take the top job every once in a while, than to see the corruption, cronyism and grinding kleptocratic string of increasingly-worse policy failures that results when you don't have checks and balances on the powers-that-be (see: Hong Kong).

Sure, Rob Ford is a disgrace to his city right now. Which is exactly why he has been stripped of his powers, and will be defeated at the polls later this year. All fine, no lasting damage done. Checks and balances. The system at work, exactly how it should work.

And let's not forget, that in terms of policies proposed and implemented, Mr Ford hasn't done so badly. He did end the gravy train, reducing benefits and cutting the bloated civil service by many thousands of jobs. How about we follow that lead here in Hong Kong?

It is much more damaging to have a man in charge who can't be removed at the polls, nor stripped of his powers, nor of his budget, and who is perhaps not quite as nutty as Rob Ford, but who implements much more damaging policies, without any checks and balances to speak of (see: Donald Tsang slash John Tsang slash pretty much any senior HK ExCo member past and present).

We all want leaders we can respect. And ones who listen and fear the power of the people. Authoritarian governments neither need to listen to, nor fear the people. They just send in the thugs and shut them up. Happening every day up north. Then change laws afterwards and declare the thuggery legal.

dienw Apr 4th 20143:18am

Not sure what the point of this article is beyond having a sly and rather obvious dig at democracy. Yet when Mr Lo writes: "Someone like Ford could gain power because many Torontonians believe City Hall is broken, the system is rigged for the rich and connected, and government is dysfunctional.", one wonders what Chinese (and Hong Kong) citizens can do to deal with their broken, dysfunctional governments and systems rigged for the rich and connected. Hmmmmm....I haven't thought of anything yet.....

gracetodd Apr 3rd 201411:44am

Being able to identify yourself with someone and vote for him/her to become a leader?!
Or should we choose a leader who can actually lead and has vision for the place he/she is going to lead???

pslhk Apr 3rd 201411:19am

Great news
for our scholarism friends
self-righteous c u m important crusaders
indigenizers as well as globalizers
democratization means continuous revolution
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The funs will go on after HKSAR is democratized
They may join the dysfunctional democratic government
or continue as a democratic opposition against the democratic establishment
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One can play both sides in the game
of hoisting a red banner against a red banner